André

André (1798), a tragedy by William Dunlap. [Park Theatre, 3 perf.] Major André ( John Hodgkinson) has been captured and condemned to die for being a British spy. His friends, including patriotic Americans, admire him enough to attempt to save him. First among these friends is Bland ( Thomas Abthorpe Cooper), whom André once had released from a British prison. Bland's mother ( Mrs. Melmoth) also has good reason to plead André's cause, for the British are holding her husband as hostage against the Major's safety. André's English sweetheart, Honora ( Mrs. Johnson), comes from England to plead for clemency. But all their efforts are in vain, and, as he goes to his execution, André remarks “I think your country has mistook her interests.” While the play was well constructed, the poetry of its blank verse was pedestrian and derivative. In an era when ill feelings against England remained strong, Dunlap's attempt to be evenhanded in his characterizations disturbed some playgoers. The first night was also beset with problems: the set by Ciceri was incomplete, and Cooper had not learned his lines and had to ask the prompter for help. Five years after its premiere Dunlap revived the work and presented it as a musical extravaganza, The Glory of Columbia. The historical Major John André (1751–80) was a British spy in the Revolutionary War, his winning personality endearing him to many of his enemies, and his execution aroused much disapproval, even among loyal Americans. During his brief stay in America, André is said to have engaged in theatricals, designing and building the scenery and costumes for a performance of General Burgoyne's play, Meschianza. André's story was dramatized several times, including this version by Dunlap and one by Clyde Fitch.